Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE)
The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) is a nationwide network of over 300 colleges and universities formed to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. A program of the Council of Independent Colleges, NetVUE is supported by the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc. and member dues. CIC administers NetVUE with guidance from an advisory council comprising representatives from participating institutions.
For additional NetVUE videos (covering events, professional development opportunities, and more), visit our YouTube channel here.
For a summary of NetVUE’s purpose and its programs and services, view this brief overview from David Cunningham, executive director of NetVUE; for a written account, view this two-page summary, updated annually, which may be downloaded, printed, and/or forwarded as needed.
CIC is grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for its longstanding support of NetVUE.
Connections: The NetVUE Newsletter
Stay up to date with the latest news from NetVUE!
Connecting Campus Leaders
NetVUE Conferences and Gatherings
NetVUE hosts a large biennial national conference, which brings teams of campus leaders into conversation with expert resource persons from across the country. In the years between national conferences, NetVUE leaders gather virtually, or in person at another event (the NetVUE UnConference or SXSW EDU, depending on the year). In addition, NetVUE hosts smaller, in-person regional and topical gatherings, which allow for smaller numbers of participants to focus on a specific theme. These events are held in various parts of the country, so that most member institutions will find one or two of these gatherings within a few hours’ drive.
Upcoming Gatherings
Strengthening Institutional Capacity
NetVUE Grant Programs
NetVUE currently offers five different grant programs, in amounts ranging from $20,000 to over $150,000, that are designed to support programming for students and professional development for faculty members and staff. Grants range in length from one to three years. They are intended to strengthen the capacity of NetVUE member institutions to support and enrich vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students. These initiatives are administered by CIC with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Grant Programs Currently Accepting Proposals
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NetVUE Grants for Reframing the Institutional Saga
The purpose of this grant program is to enable institutions to produce an updated account of their history and mission in light of their current context. Grants may be requested in amounts ranging up to $60,000 for use over three years. Applications for the current round of Grants for Reframing the Institutional Saga are due by August 8, 2025.Read More -
NetVUE Program Development Grants
Program Development Grants are intended to deepen, expand, refresh, or otherwise strengthen vocational exploration programs that are already underway and supported by NetVUE member colleges and universities. The current round of Program Development Grants are due November 21, 2025.Read More
Promoting Knowledge and Networking
NetVUE Print and Digital Resources
NetVUE provides a wide range of resources in a variety of formats—in printed publications, online content, audio, and video. The most “permanent” of these resources is a series of books, all published by Oxford University Press, that include contributions by leaders in the field of vocation and calling on a variety of themes. In addition, NetVUE supports the publication of journal articles, including a recent issue of Christian Scholars Review on the theme of vocation. A series of “conversation card” decks have been developed for use in facilitating campus conversations about vocation and calling. NetVUE also publishes a blog at vocationmatters.org and a podcast, now in its fifth season, with episodes available to stream or download at netvue.buzzsprout.com. Other digital resources include a regular series of webinars, curated lists of relevant web resources, and an online community network. This last resource includes bibliographies, course syllabi, recorded presentations from national conferences and regional gatherings, and a discussion board for peer-to-peer exchange of program ideas and best practices.
Building a Community of Practice
NetVUE Professional Development Opportunities
NetVUE promotes the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and best practices through a number of professional development opportunities, including free consulting services (for specific programs or for the whole campus), subsidized visits of campus teams to another NetVUE institution, support for reading groups (both a “Big Read” for the entire network and a “Collaborative Read” for smaller-scale groups). NetVUE also supports multiple seminars for staff and faculty members, hosting these events at the national level and underwriting their development on member campuses.
Featured Opportunities
Connecting Institutions throughout the Network
NetVUE Membership
The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) currently has 329 institutional members and 12 organizational members. Institutional membership is open to any independent college or university that would be eligible for membership in the Council of Independent Colleges. Organizational Membership is open to any organization that includes NetVUE institutional members among its own members or constituencies.
NetVUE membership operates on a calendar-year basis, with dues payable by December 1 for the following calendar year. Dues for institutional members are based on the college or university’s undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment. Institutions may join at any time. Those that join in October or later receive membership benefits for the remainder of that year as well as the following calendar year.
Contact Information
For further information and for all questions, contact the NetVUE National Office, which is located on the campus of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Call (616) 632-1060 or email Ashley Woodbeck, NetVUE office manager, at awoodbeck@cic.edu. The mailing address is NetVUE, Aquinas College, 1700 Fulton St. E., Grand Rapids, MI 49506.
To report a technical problem with the website, or to offer suggestions for navigation and content issues, please contact Alex Stephenson, NetVUE communications coordinator, at astephenson@cic.edu.